diogenisd

Comments

GeorgeD200: What I really want to know (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) is how well this camera works with Leica legacy glass. I don't have $8,000 to spend, so forget the M9. I also don't have the money for current Leica lenses. What I do have is a half-dozen Leica lenses from the 50s and 60s. I'd spring for one of these if I thought it would do a good job with them, but I can't seem to find anyone that has tried it. Does anyone have any links or resources for me?I'm also pretty lukewarm on the M8 or Epson RD-1. I don't care for Sony -- let's leave it at that, and m4/3 is out. Is this camera the ticket, or should I wait for the full-frame, interchangable lens, sub $2000 camera that Leica is never going to make?

You have the lenses and you don't go out and buy even an M8??You can get the original and you are hunting for substitutes?You can even buy a used M9 instead

mandophoto: It is clear from this comments thread that there is a tremendous amount of Leica envy. The real issue is not Leica's prices, but the lack of imagination on the part of Canon and Nikon. Though Fuji and Sony are stumbling a bit (where are the wides for the NEX system,) they, with Olympus, Panasonic and other brands are where the future of photography is. Leica is a tiny company compared to the others, and can afford to be imperious. In fact, I would guess Leica needs to be exclusive in order to survive, and we all want them to continue, right?

You can always start by searching for a used M9 body, that sells low like 2.5k-3.5k Eur. And then add cheap lenses from Leica too like the sumarits or something like that. Eventually you can target a system for like 4-4.5k It can be done

Louis_Dobson: I'm always ready to jump on people who say "such and such is too expensive!" because all that means is "I can't afford - or am too mean to pay for - such and such" and how is that our problem? Get a better job, poison your rich uncle, or buy something you can afford and shut up.But really, Leica pricing is offensive. It's so insane it is clearly designed to put off actual buyers so that stuff can be sold to a tiny club of people with infinite money and no sense who can then be milked. If Leica sold their probably rather good new lens for $700 there would be endless banging on about it being "too expensive". At seven thousand dollars the value-for-money merchants are stunned into silence, and the sheep are queueing up to be sheered.Which leaves the rational amongst us to tell Leica where they can put their $7,000 50mm f2, but it might hurt a bit. And to howl with laughter at anyone gullible enough to pay for one.The B&W camera, the 7K f2 50mm lens - this is therapy, not photography.

Louis, this is almost a hand made camera made in Germany. The 50mm lens is also made in Germany and if we trust the firm with very rare qualities. So it's more a question of whether you can afford such a package in the end or not. The lens is independent of the camera by the way: you can get it and use it on any Leica M that you happen to have old or new. Even the first Leicas of the 50's

Jim Radcliffe: I am not surprised by anything Leica does anymore. The uber expensive Leica MM (More Money) is just Leica being Leica. $7,000 for a lens is.. well.. hard to find the words.. but clearly Leica is content to do what they have always done. Charge a premium for a simple camera with no bells and whistles (and now not even color).. and charge more for every new version/model/iteration even if nothing about the new camera warrants a price increase.

Like many here I have always been a Leica fan (there is a difference between being a fan and being a fanboy) but Leica has simply put themselves out of my reach. There will always be enough affluent individuals to purchase their products and keep the company afloat but I must say the image of Leica has become, in my opinion, quite tarnished.

Leica glass is without question, some of the best in the world if not the best but nothing Leica makes is what most of us would consider affordable. That is the sad part. Where is the Digital CL?

You are just parroting the fabled "Leica glass is the best glass in the world and blablabla" and then you ask yourself how can a lens cost like $7k. Well if you do know how to read MTF graphs of a lens take a ride to Leica site and check them. If you can find -anywhere- in the world a lens that can give you more than 50% of contrast, wide open @ f/2.0 and in the whole picture area, and this when you record the FINEST details of 40lp/mm then you will eventually understand the technical feat.

Lupti: Ok, I say take an ordinary DSLR, set it to B/W and take the same shots. I doubt that most people can distinguish them from the Leica shots if not told from what camera they are. Really. I also would go as far as taking an ordinary P&S with B/W mode and compare them with these.I don´t see the point of this camera aside from being a new toy for people with too much money. I also never understood what´s so great about the Leica system, the cameras and lenses cost megabucks for what reason? Handmade in Germany, a red dot? But the parts are so expensive there isn´t money anmyore for a higher resolution display? Okay...there are still too much people with too much money.And no, there is no envy at all.Now I think some people will tell me I´m trolling(I´m not) or that I don´t understand the special art of photographing with a Leica, but really, I couldn´t care less.

You will be able to tell the difference. Soon, reviews will launch testing A-B shots from various dSLRs that will show the benefits and need of such a sensor. And then you can always couple the camera with their new 50mm APO summicron, for the absolute best.

Michal59: Kinda snobbing marketing IMO. For enthusiasts with big pocket. On the other side its brilliant piece of hardware. I like the appealing look of samples, nice film-like grain. Resolution is great. Does anyone know other cameras w/o color filter array?Maybe Leica will push the market to offer cameras with bayer/no bayer hardware switch, hence improving the resolution in some situations.

random78: I only see thumbnails of the gallery images on the last page. Clicking on the thumbnails doesn't open the gallery

Superb Camera for those that understand how a digital camera works (basically ALL digital cameras naturally see in B&W).1. Imagine the contrast without the filters and most importantly creativity without the limits.2. Imagine the purity of the capture especially when using the newly apo sumicron 50mm. This is one of Leica's original goals: they want the image to be captured as pure as it can be, then do whatever you want to do with it.3. There is basically nothing like this anywhere in the digital market except some very expensive medium format cameras that are also mostly for studio shots4. And last imagine the price tag :D